How long does a fantasy football draft take? Every team manager headed into a draft wants to know. With drafts typically occurring on weekends during the summer, time is of the essence. Still, managers don't want to rush what is one of the most enjoyable parts of the season.
Let's dive into this in more detail. We'll look at how long fantasy football drafts usually take and how that time frame can vary depending on the draft type. Another important factor in anticipating how long a draft takes is the number of rounds your league has for selections. We will then close out by helping you prepare for a faster, smoother draft.
How Long Does a Fantasy Football Draft Take?
So, how long does a fantasy football draft take? Most drafts are normally completed within 60-120 minutes (one to two hours). A big part of the time variation is how long each manager gets to pick players. A 60-second time limit on picks makes managers review their fantasy football rankings quicker, and goes much faster than one with a 90-second pick limit.
Two other major factors for your draft length are the size of the league and the draft format. Naturally, a 12-team league will take longer than an eight-team draft. The same holds true for an auction draft versus a snake draft. When managers are using fantasy football auction values to make picks, it will take longer than a snake draft where every manager is making a single pick.
The good news is that every fantasy manager has the same motivation to complete a fantasy draft in a timely manner. One way to make sure that you are one of the quick drafters in a league is to use RotoWire, which has the best draft assistant to help you make these picks.
Live Drafts vs. Auto Drafts: What to Expect
Your league operators will decide whether to have a live draft or an auto draft. The live draft option relies on each fantasy manager to review a cheat sheet and manually make a pick. How long a draft takes will vary widely depending on draft settings like pick timer and number of rounds.
An auto-draft option begins with fantasy managers inputting their rankings into that league's draft system. Once the draft begins, the system will then select the highest-rated player on each player's draft board when their pick occurs. Player rankings are paramount here, which is why savvy managers will make sure they use the RotoWire custom fantasy football rankings when compiling these fantasy rankings.
The prime benefit of a live system is that it allows you to adjust your pick strategy based on how the draft is progressing. You'll also get to interact with your buddies, either virtually or in person.
The top benefits of an auto draft are speed (it usually takes less than 30 minutes to complete) and that it doesn't require finding a time that fits into everyone's schedule. The downside of an auto draft is that you have to stay on top of draft rankings based on the latest NFL news and player updates. If you don't change your selections based on daily developments, you may end up drafting injured players.
How Many Rounds Are in a Fantasy Football Draft?
Most drafts are anywhere from 12-16 rounds. This is directly tied into how many total starter and bench roster spots are programmed into the league's roster settings. Leagues that have a lot of bench spots are called deep leagues, while those with fewer bench spots are often referred to as shallow leagues.
PPR leagues will typically take a bit longer to pick than standard leagues because that format allows for a deeper pool of quality bench candidates. Keeper leagues will also take less time because in most cases roughly half of the rosters are filled with players from the previous year's team.
Fantasy Football Draft Tips for a Faster, Smoother Draft
Here are three tips that can help you prepare for a faster and smoother draft day:
- Create ranked player lists and cheat sheets with the RotoWire fantasy football draft kit. This kit makes it incredibly easy to create these lists and cheat sheets and customize them to your league-specific scoring format.
- Use the RotoWire 2025 NFL Mock Draft Simulator. This will allow you to master your draft strategies prior to draft day.
- Join the league early on draft day. One of the primary delays in fantasy drafts is when managers don't sign into the draft at the scheduled time. It keeps everyone waiting and makes you no friends.
Final Thoughts on Fantasy Football Draft Time and Strategy
The key to a fast and enjoyable draft strategy in fantasy football is being prepared. If you arrive early and create your draft queue, you will be primed to get the players you were most excited about during your pre-draft research. It's also a good idea to bookmark a draft checklist to make sure you aren't missing anything on draft day.
You can do all of this, plus get beginner guides that walk you through every step of the draft process, by subscribing to RotoWire. It's the best way to get an edge over your competition, so be sure to subscribe today and take advantage of the premier site for all of your fantasy football needs!
